Construction



G; H'OTGHKISS A RBATING WATER WHEEL.'

NOJO. Patented Jan. 9, v1837.

miran Parrainer clinica.

` 4GIDRoN YHaselnuss, or WINDSOR, New YORK.

coiIsTRUcTI'oN or "'REACG WATER-WHEELS AND THEIR APPENDAGES.

-Specication of `LettersPatent o. 11T), dated Januaryr9, :18237;Antedatd November 30, 1836,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1I, -GIDEON I-IoTcHkIss, of Windsor, in the county ofBroome and State of New York, have invented a "new and usefulImprovement :in thel Construc-V tion and Mode of Application of(Reaction Water-Wheels and Their Appendages for Propelling Machinery,which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexeddrawings of the same, making fpart of this specification.

Section 1.--The wheel case A, (say for a saw or grist mill having six4feet head of water) is composed of two sills BIS 7 by 9 inches thick,hard wood; or y8 by =10inches if made of pine,-and of any convenientllength ;-four lposts C C C C four feet four inches long and 8 inchessquare,;`-two.plates D D same length as sills 3 by 6 inches ,-'two endgirts E E serving vas head blocks, for Vthe wheel shaft to turn in,feetlong, 2 feet wide by 8 inches thick.` The whole framed welltogether. Intermediate posts and girts are framed between the cornervposts so as to divide the case into several spaces-H Vto admit thereacting wheels R R &c. Two planks K K two feet wideand 3 inches thickare framed vertically with kcrotch v tenons into the sills and plateshaving a spaceH,

of about l5 inches between them. In a line` with each of these planksframe a bottom plank from sill to sill 2 feet vwideland 3 inches thick,tenoned into the sills, fthe yupper side one inch below the top ofthesill. Over the spaces between the planks just .mentioned and projectingtwo inches over each contiguous vertical plank place transverse plankstermed copes M halved or rabbeted so as to let the bottom of eachlie'half an inch below the tops of the plates. Groove it on the underside, near each edge to receivel the partitions or decks N, which arealso let into grooves in the bottom planks. The decks are each made oftwo planks 2 feet wide by 2 inches thick, tenoned into the bottom andtop planks and cut out in the center. In a circle Q, equal to the innerdiameter of the shroud 0r rim of the water wheel. Two wheels unitedtogether are placed between each pair of partitions or decks under thetransverse copes-there being two openings three spaces and four wheels,each wheel having six pieces 235 by 6 inchesy each, and the wheel being23 inches diameter to the center of the issues and 7 inches deep. Theintermediate part of the main iframe containing these Wheels is 7 feet1l lnches longby 5 feet wide from out to out of post. These pieces arewedged on each end of the frame is a single cope M extendingl to theoutside of the posts to cover the single wheel, having partitions ordecks constructed in the manner before de` scribed for the doublewheels, except that the outer or end wheel is visible. Y

Section 2.-The wheels R are made of cast iron,'but may be made of anysuitable material. Each wheel is composed of two rims or shrouds Splaced parallel, 'between which are arranged the curved buckets T (beingsix or'more vin number) in such a manner asto form issues for the waterend that sha-ll leave the wheel nearly at a tangent, or right angles tothe diameter. One side or face of the wheel is openedthe other isclosed. The rim toward the open side between the ends of the bucketsnearest `the center of the wheel 'is scalloped or cui;

away in the manner represented at U somewhat in the form of 'a reaperssickle so as to enlarge the vortex or opening of the wheel.l Thesescallops should be cut so as to leave the youter'or face side sharp overand near the issue to cut away opposing substances, such as leaves,straw, wood, &c., that might pass' into the wheel. This face, shroud orrim must be made wider than the rear shroud to strengthen it where thescallops are cut.

Section 3.--The wheels may be cast of an entire piece, or in severalpieces bolted together. They may also be cast with all the shrouds orrims open, with bolt holes in them so that the wheels may be reversed atpleas- Y ure on a wooden head or hexagonal hub or core fastened on theaxle, in order to change the direction of the wheel at pleasure.

Section L-The wheels are placed verti-v together by extending the wristsof the cranks formed on them beyond the face of the pit-man rods so asto lap over each other.

Section 6.--When the wheel is designed to turn horizontally and to bereversed, make of cast iron a hexagonal hub V with six or more arms Wradiating from its angles having at their extremities bolt holes forsecuring either shroud of the wheel to the same at pleasure, and inwhich shrouds are corresponding bolt holes. Said arms being made deeperat their junction with the hub and tapering gradually to a suitable sizeat their extremities-the lower edges being made horizontal with flanges:for the wooden flooring or bottom of the wheel (made in six or morepieces) to rest on-the horizontal iigure of each piece correspondingwith the iigure between each pair of arms-the vertical sectioncorresponding with the shape of the side of the arm. The end of theshaft to which the wheel is wedgedV is made hexagonal to correspond withthe hexagonal mortise of the wheel. A wheel thus made is not liable tocrack from the unequal shrinking of the metalA in coolingthe arms andshrouds being cast separate. Besides it is much stronger and moreeifective than one with an entire wooden bottom and is not so heavy andcostly as one entirely of iron. Another advantage arises from having aless quantity of iron in a wheel of equal power with one containing agreater quantity and in having a less weight resting on thepivot, which,in the reacting wheel never wears centrally.

Section 7.-The diameter of the wheels, the quantity of water admitted,the size of timber usedthe number of wheels on an axle and thedimensions of wheel cases should be varied to suit the particular.circumstances of each mill and site or water power.

Section 8 The gates a which I generally use are made of wood or ironcorresponding in size and number to the openings in the wheel case,turning on pivots, resting on the caps of the case and connectedtogether by rods, attached to the end of a lever a? by a connecting bare-said lever moving on a fulcrum on theltop of the case, by which thegates are opened or closed simultaneously.

Section Q f'lhe gates may also be composed of plank 21g or 3 inchesthick, 4.12 feet long, and a little wider than their correspondingopenings over which they are placed-are coupled by plates or otherwiseand supported by friction wheels on the plates of the case-or suspendedby hangings above. To let the water on to the wheels, they are all madeto move endwise of the frame.

Section 10.-The invention claimed by the subscriber and desired to besecured by Let ters Patent consists inl. Scalloping the face, shroud orrim of the wheel in the manner described in section 2.

2. The manner of constructing the wheel to be turned on the head so asto reverse its motion as described in section 3. t

3. The manner of constructing the wheel with cast iron hub and arms asdescribed in section 6, and the use and application of the combinedpivotgates or valves for letting on and shutting off the water in thismanner described in section 8; also in making the wheel case portable orentirely independent of the mill frame with the axles of the wheelssupported by and turning in the same in manner described in section 1.

GIDEON HOTCHKISS.

